With the Ashes in full flow, who do you reckon, alive or dead, is Australias best cricketer? My vote would go to Steve Waugh. He was as cold as ice out at the crease and played like a man possessed whenever he wore the famous Baggy Green. Australia could do with a few Steve Waughs at the moment.

Andrew wrote:Definitely Steve Waugh - I still have a photo of him up at my desk from his innings at The Oval in 2001 when he played with a torn calf muscle but still one-leggged it to 157 not out.

His back to back centuries during the 1997 Ashes Series in Old Trafford were two outstanding knocks as well. I read his autobiography ( nearly 800 pages ) and it is a brilliant book. I read somewhere that his brother Mark got the nickname " Afghanistan " because he is known as the forgotten Waugh h.

Yup Steve Waugh. My memory will always be of his 10,000th test run. Crowding around Nanna's old tube TV watching the awful country TV signal. Then watching him a few runs later take out a century Adam Gilchrist was the other batsmen from memory.

Would you have a look at that K-Whopper hallin' that Wriggle Wagon hes got it to the floor and looking for more!Posts here are my opinions and thoughts only.

S Barrett wrote:The Don was a class act alright. Would he have been as good in the modern game though?

As for Warne, his off field shenanigans put me off him and we wont mention the drugs scandal that he was enbroiled in.

Bradman would have been as good in ANY era. Unmatched natural talent and leadership.

I agree with you about Warne. Blaming his mother for taking an illegal substance was a very low act, and the man spends more time looking in the mirror than he does breathing, but for sheer bowling talent he was unsurpassed.

scott wrote:We just got thrashed in the Second test, to the tune of 347 runs, the sixth loss of a test match in a row.

Is this the best squad of players available for selection or are there more that could be called up? My view is that this is a team of individuals instead of team players. The ongoing row between Watson and Clarke is just adding to the problem.

Yesterday Ian Botham mentioned that Glenn Mc Grath, Steve Waugh, Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Dennis Lillee, Merv Hughes, Jeff Thompson and one or two other ex players were at Lords either commentating or watching the game. He also said that these ex players would put up a better fight than the current players.

Peter1805 wrote:I'm sure that if Steve Waugh put his pads on over his street-clothes and went out and faced up he would do much better than half the current team's "finest" batsmen.

I reckon his stare alone would frighten the bejaysus out of the English bowlers. Has there ever been so much disharmony in an Australian touring party? Certain players seem to have no respect for the Baggy Green whatsoever. Am I wrong in saying this??

I guess the question today becomes "who's the best of a sad and sorry lot?"

One thing I'm sure about is the whole lot of them need taking down a peg or two, in order to understand that those humongous million dollars per year salaries have to be earned.....they're not paid just to show up at the stadium.

Most folks, when they screw up constantly at their job to the point of bringing their employer and industry into disrepute, are sacked.

How much longer do these very privileged individuals get to continue operating within a set of rules entirely different from the rest of society?